


Child of the Doctor

by Swan_Song



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Episode: Xmas Special 2015 The Husbands Of River Song, F/M, Gen, I'm Bad At Tagging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-04
Updated: 2016-10-04
Packaged: 2018-08-19 12:31:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8208146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swan_Song/pseuds/Swan_Song
Summary: As dawn rose on the Singing towers, marking the end of their last night together, River Song decided to tell her husband a secret she kept from him all those years.





	

The Doctor and River stood on the balcony as dawn rose on the Singing Towers, marking the end of their last, 24 years long night together.

"I suppose it's the end, isn't it?" River asked, her voice shaking a little as she tried to control the emotions that started building in her chest. She knew it was the last time she will ever see him. The Doctor only nodded, his hearts heavy.

"Yes... I suppose it is. I wish it didn't have to be. I will miss you." He said, his hand firmly wrapped around her waist with ease saved for couples so comfortable with each other they were practically one person. River leaned against him, hesitant.

"I want you to take this. It's important. Something you need to know, and I can't see." She hands him a CD on a chain, and he examined it.

"What is it?" The Doctor asked, confused. It looked like a normal CD, but from the look on River's face, he realized this is something very serious.

"Spoilers." Her serious expression melted into a taunting smile and he relaxed a bit, lowering his defenses one last time. Every year of his two thousand could be seen in his eyes and in the sad smile on his face. He pulled her close to his body, pressing close to her. He didn't want her to see him cry, and she was okay with it. She didn't want him to see her cry to. They pulled away eventually, gentle smiles on their faces.

"You know... I'm not good with... saying goodbye. That much didn't change." The Doctor stuttered a bit, looking at her face. He memorized every feature of her, from the small lines around her eyes, or the way her neck curved into her shoulder, or the way her bright curls caught the light of the morning sun. The light was also caught in her eyes, as tears formed in them. Her sad smile completed the result.

"Say it like we will meet again." She said softly, and kissed him. The words broke his hearts as he remembered Trenzalor. What he said back then wasn't right. Not this time. When they pulled away from the sweet, painful kiss, he looked at her eyes with a gentle, proud look.

"I will see you again, Professor Song. But until the next time, be happy." He said softly, with all the love he had. In that regeneration in particular emotions were very well hidden, but the love in his voice was so clear and so slow it had the warm laziness of sunsets and bees and the end of summer. He loved her with the slowness saved for timelords, and the force reserved for humans. Their love was one of a kind.

"I will see you, sweetie." River smiled, winking at him. She scanned the face she learns to know over the last 24 years, a face that was so old and worn out yet so full of life and delicate emotions, so delicate they were barely noticeable to someone who didn't know him. She ran her thumb over his crinkled cheek, feeling him lean into her touch, then pressed a button on her vortex manipulator and vanished. The Doctor was left watching the empty air, tears falling quietly as he listened to the beautiful song of the towers, that sounded like love and loss and comfort.

It's been so long since that night near the Singing Towers. It was hard for him. He couldn't master the courage to listen to River's farewell. He was all alone, and he felt guilt creeping into his heart every day that passed. He hid the disc in a small box in his room, a box that used to belong to his granddaughter, Susan. She gave it to him when she was young, maybe twenty. It was only when he was completely alone that he thought about the disc again. He ran his finger over the engraving on the box, featuring his granddaughter's name in Gallifreyan, and opened it. He held the disc like his life depended on it, carefully, and inserted it into the TARDIS. A hologram of River appeared in front of him, painfully beautiful and ageless as she always was.

"Hello, sweetie." The hologram said, smiling the haunting smile that took over his hearts so long ago even when he didn't know her at all, two regenerations and two thousand years earlier.

"Hello, River." He murmured in the space she intentionally left there specifically for this purpose. She probably guessed he wouldn't open this until he's lonely, in his lowest point.

"This is the one secret I didn't tell you. I want to warn you - you will get angry. You might even hate me. But you will understand why I needed to do this. During my time in jail... I gave birth. I gave birth to your child. Our child." She stopped, knowing the Doctor would need time to recover from this revelation. He was shocked, wide eyed.

"They wouldn't let me keep her, or even hold her, but I collected an old debt and sent her somewhere safe. I sent her to someone I know you trust as well. As soon as you projected this message, the coordinates were inserted to the TARDIS. All you have to do is start her, and she will get to the exact time and space coordinates I sent our daughter. Don't worry. I sent her to a safe time. She will be okay. I told Jack to take care of her until her father comes to take her back. I have to say, I don't know if she is human or timelord. I couldn't even feel her heartbeat. They drugged me and took her away. I didn't tell you earlier, because... Because I was afraid. Here, I admit it. I don't know if by the time you open this I already did t, but I was afraid. You can be... Terrifying when you're angry. Just go and take her. Please. She doesn't need to grow up orphan. Goodbye, Doctor. I love you." River's hologram showed how upset she was, on the verge of tears. And then the message was over.

The Doctor didn't even know how he feels. It was joy and fear and anxiety and happiness. He was a father again. His wife was dead, and would never see her child. He had a family. There was no one he could share his joy with. He decided to start the TARDIS, flying her to the coordinates River gave.

The child was left on the doorstep with nothing but a military blanket wrapped around her and a note, like she was Harry Potter or something. The note said that this child couldn't be raised by her mother, since she was jailed, and she asks to collect an old debt and wants him to care for the child until her father will come and take her. It was signed by professor River Song. Jack picked the baby up and got inside. She was crying.

"Anyone knows how to make a baby stop crying?" He asked when he got in. Gwen looked at him like he just fell out of the moon.

"Where the hell did you get this baby?" She asked, leaving the computer and going over to Jack. He handed her the note.

"River is an old friend of mine. She never really told me who was it that she killed, but she's in jail now. Gave birth. They wouldn't let her raise the baby, but she said that the kid's father will come. Wonder who that might be. There are many people interested in this woman." He explained, wondering out loud. That's when he heard the sound. It was a sound that signed hope and friendship and adventure. That's when the blue police box materialized in front of them. Out of it came a man, old and tired. He was smiling a little.

"Captain." He nodded, looking at the younger man.

"Doctor." Jack smiled, trying to raise his voice above the voice of the crying child. The Doctor got closer.

"Give her to me. She's afraid." He said softly, getting even closer. Jack was hesitant at first, but when he saw the soft look I his eyes he handed the bundle to him.

"Shhh... It's alright, kid. It's okay. No, he's not dying. It's okay. That's just how they work." The Doctor held the child close to his chest, gentle, and she relaxed a bit.

"What do you mean 'that's how they work'?" Jack asked, frowning. The Doctor was acting weird, like he answered the baby's question.

"To her instincts, the instinct of a two hearted baby who was born yesterday, one heartbeat means you're dying. She is quite fond of you, and didn't really want you to die." The Doctor answered, still smiling softly at the baby.

"Two hearted? What is she?" Jack asked, suspicious. He let the list of two hearted specie of aliens roll through his head, trying to determine if this child's existence is a threat.

"She's a baby Time Lady. She is my daughter." The Doctor said softly, looking at the redhead girl with a look so gentle Jack never saw on his face. He was shocked.

"You said you were the last. I know the mother. How-?" He asked, confused.

"Because of a story too long to explain, River is part timelord. And because of a story even longer, I changed the past and saved Gallifrey." The Doctor said, a bit impatient.

"How long has it been for you, Doctor?" Jack asked, seeing how tired the Doctor was under the softness he showed the baby. His child. How does this even make sense?

"two thousand years since the earth was stolen. Two regenerations." He said tiredly. The baby made some curious noises.

"Yes, it's a great story. I will tell you one day. When you grow up." He said softly, holding her close. He rocked her back and forth slowly until she fell asleep in his hands.

"Will you be okay with a kid on the TARDIS? I mean, with your line of work..." He frowned a bit.

"She is not the first child I raise. I know what to do. I will... Stay out of the line of fire, for now. Until she grows up a little. Take her only to see the universe." He said, smiling at Jack. The younger man nodded.

"Im glad you got to have a family again, Doctor. You deserve it." He smiled, hugging the Doctor. He was careful not to harm the child.

"Can I ask you for a favor? I need to borrow your vortex manipulator. There is this paradox I can't get in using the TARDIS. Crossing the same time stream too many times." The Doctor asked, and Jack laughed.

"What do you say about bouncing in time now?" He asked, and the Doctor allowed himself a smile. Jack handed him the vortex manipulator, tying it around his wrist. The Doctor gave him the baby for a second, typing the coordinates and taking the child back.

"We will meet again, Jack. It was a pleasure to meet you." He said, vanishing.

Rory was home alone. Amy went to take a walk, and he had a day off. They lived in Manhattan for eight years now. They lived through World War Two. Rory served in the front line as a nurse, befriending a remarkable soldier called captain Jack Harkness, and Amy kept writing 'science fiction' books about her journeys with the Doctor. They now had a quiet life in a nice home of their own. Rory was reading a book, thinking about his old life, when he heard a knock on the door. In front of him stood an old man with a baby in his hands.

"Rory? It's been so long." He smiled, but the smile faded when he saw the confused and suspicious look on the man's face.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" He asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Rory, you really don't recognize me? I know I've changed, but did I change this much? I knew I should've gone for that horrible bow tie." He talked to himself. Rory's eyes widened.

"Doctor, is that you? What are you doing here? How did you even get here? And why do you hold a baby?" He asked, shocked. So many question ran through his head. He hugged his old friend (thinking about him as his son in law was even weirder now), careful on the baby.

"Not-not the hugging type, but..." He said, still hugging Rory awkwardly with one hand.

"But I guess it's okay this time. It is me. I... I needed to see you again. I used a vortex manipulator to get here, and before I start talking about the baby we should wait for Amy. If I tell you without her she will get angry." The Doctor said, when Amy walked in.

"What will I get angry about? And who's the old man with the baby in our living room?" She asked Rory.

"Pond! It's been very long. You look wonderful as always." The Doctor grinned, something of his previous personality leaking through. Amy looked furious.

"Nobody calls me Pond. Nobody. Who are you?" She asked, standing in a threatening position. The Doctor slowly gave the baby to Rory, knowing she will be safe with him.

"It's me! Fish fingers and custard, remember? I asked you for an apple, then threw it saying I hate apples. Then I asked for a banana. It was a very confusing regeneration, and some of my older personalities leaked through." The Doctor kept talking about the first time they met. 

"Doctor... It's really you? God, I missed you!" She smiled, running to hug him. He was on the verge of tears, so he had no problem with hiding his face at the moment. 

"It's been too long, Pond." He kissed the top of her head, holding her close to his hearts. They pulled away eventually, and Amy smiled. 

"So, what _is_ the deal with the baby?" She asked, taking the kid from Rory. The Doctor smiled, getting closer. 

"Pond, I want you to meet Amelia Song. My daughter." He looked proud. Amy and Rory started at him, shocked. 

"You don't mean..." Amy asked, eyes wide. 

"Yes I do." The Doctor smiled. 

But that means..." Rory sat down.

"Yes it does." His smile got wider. Rory's eyes were filled with tears. 

"And once again, we have a crying Roman with a baby." Amy chuckled through the tears. The baby started crying too, and the Doctor took her back. 

"Don't worry, little Amy. It's okay. We're not sad. We're very very happy. People cry when they're happy too. You will learn it when you grow up. It's alright." He said, so gentle Amy couldn't believe he's the same man. 

"She's just like her mother... Always caring for others first." He said softly, holding the baby until she fell asleep. 

"Well... I suppose, I should go now. We are going to stay off the radar for a while. Madame Vestra and Jenny agreed to help me keep her safe, until she's old enough." He looked up at his old friends. 

"Are you sure you can deal with raising a baby in the TARDIS? Alone?" Rory asked, watching his son in law and granddaughter (he could never get used to that) carefully. 

"She is not the first child I raise, and not the first to grow up in a TARDIS. I had six children, and several grandchildren. I will be fine. Goodbye, Ponds." He said, his eyes full of love for the kid in his arms, and to his best friends in front of him. 

"Goodbye, raggedy man." Amy smiled back as the Doctor disappeared, off to see the universe, with a new hope held tight in his arms. 


End file.
